The present invention relates to a personal protection device, specifically a non-lethal gas dispensing device.
Increasing crime rates and the increased publicity of violent crime has created a heightened public awareness of violent crime. Daily reports on television and radio of assaults, armed robberies, muggings, rapes, and murders testify to the problem. Many individuals are concerned, even frightened, at the prospect of violent crime directed at them as well as friends, families, or loved ones.
Many law abiding individuals, fearful of the threat and fed up with law enforcement's inability to cope with the problem, have resorted to gun ownership. Although gun ownership and possession may make the individual feel safer, studies show this may not be a solution. One recent study indicated handgun ownership in the home actually increased the possibility of the gun owner being killed with a handgun.
The prospect of ever increasing numbers of weapons, especially handguns, in our society has led to an increasing movement toward stronger gun control measures. However, this does little to belay the fears of many since they believe criminals will continue to gain access to these deadly weapons.
These gloomy facts have intensified the search for effective alternatives to handguns as protection from violent crime. One of the most effective measures gaining in popularity is the use of non-lethal gas to deter a violent attack. Tear gas, and various other irritating or debilitating gasses have been used successfully. Pepper gas has been especially popular due to its immediate debilitating effects to the eyes, skin, and breathing passages, and yet the gas creates no long term harmful effects to the affected individual.
The use of these products are welcomed by those who are opposed to lethal means to deter crime, and by those who fear the use of the protection device on themselves or other innocent persons. Law enforcement personnel prefer the use of non-lethal gas to handguns by individuals due to the reduced risk of injury or death to themselves as well as innocent bystanders. The use of a marker such as dyes in the gas can actually aid in the apprehension of criminals. Probably the greatest advantage of the use of non-lethal gas over handguns is the reduction of deaths of many innocent persons, killed accidentally each year.
Up to now, non-lethal gas dispensers have suffered drawbacks which limit their acceptance and effectiveness. The most common gas dispenser is a pressurized canister with an integral nozzle valve at one end. The nozzle valve is activated by pressing a button on the nozzle valve with ones finger to release the gas. In this arrangement the direction of discharge is not intuitively obvious. One has only to recall use of spray cans for other products and realize how easy it is to spray in the wrong direction, even discharging on the user in some instances. Unique shapes to the canister or nozzle valve have helped but have not solved the problem.
Another limitation of the above device is inadvertent discharge of the device, especially in a pocket or purse where considerable damage to personal property is possible. The gas dispenser may be placed in a protective case to be made safe. Use of the device requires release of a case cover, or removal of the dispenser from the case, further slowing the use of the dispenser in an emergency. Mechanical safety latches have been integrated with the nozzle valve, but these tend to increase fumbling and add to the uncertainty of discharge direction.
Other devices have been disclosed to discharge a non-lethal gas in combination with other features. U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,804 to Morris et al. discloses a gas dispenser combined with a flashlight and Pat. No. 4,449,474 to Mariol discloses a gas dispenser which includes a flash device and a whistle. While these devices add features to a gas dispenser, they do not fully address all the shortcomings of simple canister dispensers. They also do not address the problem of providing a spare gas canister conveniently, to be used quickly if required.
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a personal protection device which uses readily available non-lethal gas canisters and provides a fast and reliable method of accurately aiming and discharging the gas, one that can be used by an individual with no fumbling or confusion.
A further object of this invention is to provide a gas dispenser which can be quickly loaded, unloaded and reloaded with standard non-lethal gas canisters.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a gas dispenser which has an effective means to prevent inadvertent discharge of the device.
And still a further object of this invention is to provide a gas dispenser with a means for storing a spare gas canister in the device for convenience and safety.